Kanjirottu Yakshi

Kanjirottu Yakshi is a folkloric deity of South India. According to the myth, she was born into an affluent Nair tharavad by name Mangalathu at Kanjiracode in Southern Travancore (now in Tamil Nadu). Also known as Chiruthevi, she was a beautiful courtesan who had an intimate relationship with Raman Thampi, son of King Rama Varma and rival of Anizhom Thirunal Marthanda Varma. She turned into a Yakshi after being murdered by her palanquin-bearer, waylaying men with her beauty and drinking their blood.^[1]

Folkloric Background

Sreedevi or Chiruthevi was a courtesan who had as her clients the high and the mighty, and who enjoyed toying with the lives of her many admirers and driving them to financial ruin. However, she fell in love with Kunjuraman, her palanquin-bearer, who would carry both her and her brother Govindan around on his back. However, Kunjuraman was already married and did not reciprocate Chiruthevi's feelings. On the other hand, Govindan and Kunjuraman were very close, with some versions of the tale claiming that the two were lovers.

Frustrated by Kunjuraman's romantic indifference towards her, Chiruthevi arranged for Kunjuraman's wife to be killed. When Govindan found out that his sister was behind the plot, he told Kunjuraman, who agreed to sleep with Chiruthevi. While they were in bed, Kunjuraman strangled Chiruthevi in order to avenge the murder of his wife.

Following her murder, Chiruthevi was reborn as a yakshi to a couple in Kanjirottu. She magically transformed into a bewitchingly beautiful woman moments after her birth. As a yakshi, she proceeded to seduce and terrorize men and drink their blood, never forgetting to harass the still-living Kunjuraman, whom she still desired.^[2] To help Kunjuraman, Govindan, who was also a great upasaka of Lord Balarama, made a deal with the yakshi whereby she could cohabit with Kunjuraman for a year, after which she was to become a devotee of Narasimha. The other conditions of this deal were that she must agree to be installed at a temple after the year was up, and that she must pray for Govindan and his relationship with Kunjuraman in this birth and all subsequent ones. The yakshi swore on 'ponnum vilakkum' in agreement, and after the year was up, she was installed at the Kanjiracottu Valiaveedu Temple which was destroyed many years later.

Kanjiracottu Valiaveedu Temple

A year after her deal with Govindan, the yakshi was installed at a Temple which later came to be owned by Kanjiracottu Valiaveedu. The members of Valiaveedu started worshipping this Yakshi besides their Guardian Deities, Lord Ramanuja (Sri Krishna accompanied by Sri Rukmini) and Lord Balarama.^[3] Devotees used to offer Pongala to Yakshi Amma on Pooram in the month of Meenom and on the first Fridays in every Malayalam month except Meenom.^[4] The Temple no longer exists.

Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple

After becoming a devotee of Narasimha, the Yakshi is now believed to reside in Vault (or 'Kallara' in Malayalam) B of the ancient Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. References to the temple have appeared in literature dating back to the Sangam era, though nobody is certain of when it was constructed. It is currently managed by the royal family of Travancore. Vault B is one of six vaults of the temple, five of which were opened in 2011 following an order by the Supreme Court of India. A horde of gold and jewels estimated to be worth over US$20 billion, one of the largest treasure troves in the world, was revealed. However, Vault B remains unopened due to ongoing legal issues, as well as the legend that suggests that while even bigger treasures lie within the vault, any attempt to open it would stir up the Kanjirottu Yakshi, interrupting her prayers to Lord Narasimha and unleashing her evil upon the world. As Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi observes, "Disturbing her peace would be a disaster especially if her current quiet temperament reverts to the menacing nature that was once hers."^[5] The enchanting and ferocious forms of this Yakshi are painted on the south-west part of Sri Padmanabha's shrine.

In July 2020, the Supreme Court of India upheld the rights of the Travancore royal family to manage the Temple. The royal family has maintained that they oppose the opening of Vault B, stating that it is a "secret and sacred place." According to the July 2020 ruling, the decision to open Vault B or leave it undisturbed stands with the advisory and administrative committees appointed to help manage the Temple.^[6]

Sundara Lakshmi

Sundara Lakshmi, an accomplished dancer and consort of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma, was an ardent devotee of Kanjirottu Yakshi Amma.

References

^ Kaimal, Kesava. 'Thekkan Thiruvithamkurile Yakshikal'. Srinidhi Publications, 2002.
^ Bhairav, J. Furcifer; Khanna, Rakesh (2020). Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India. India: Blaft Publications Pvt Ltd. pp. 418–419. ISBN 9789380636474.
^ Nair, Balasankaran. 'Kanjirottu Yakshi'. Sastha Books, 2001.
^ Nair, Balasankaran. 'Valiaveedu Charithrathil'. Sastha Books, 1999.
^ Bayi, Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi. 'Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple' (Third Edition). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2013.
^ Krishnan, Murali (2020). "Supreme Court upholds royals' rights on Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple". Hindustan Times.

[1] Kaimal, Kesava. 'Thekkan Thiruvithamkurile Yakshikal'. Srinidhi Publications, 2002.

[:0-2] Bhairav, J. Furcifer; Khanna, Rakesh (2020). Ghosts, Monsters, and Demons of India. India: Blaft Publications Pvt Ltd. pp. 418–419. ISBN 9789380636474.

[3] Nair, Balasankaran. 'Kanjirottu Yakshi'. Sastha Books, 2001.

[4] Nair, Balasankaran. 'Valiaveedu Charithrathil'. Sastha Books, 1999.

[5] Bayi, Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi. 'Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple' (Third Edition). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2013.

[6] Krishnan, Murali (2020). "Supreme Court upholds royals' rights on Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple". Hindustan Times.